Sustainability Incentive Program reopens with industry partners

Contributed

Farm Credit Canada’s (FCC) Sustainability Incentive Program is once again open to applicants in partnership with the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) and McCain Foods.

FCC encourages eligible cattle producers and potato growers to explore the benefits of receiving incentive payments by increasing the adoption of sustainable practices through the CRSB certification initiative and the McCain Foods potato growers’ framework. Anyone who applied to the program in 2022 and new eligible applicants are now able to apply for this year’s incentive payments.

“FCC is happy to be reopening applications for our sustainability programs. We are in a unique position to work with individual sectors in the agriculture and food industry on their sustainability goals,” explains Curtis Grainger, FCC’s director of sustainability programs. “The progress we’re seeing looks different depending on the sector and on an individual’s operation. That’s why the established, verified initiatives at CRSB and McCain Foods are important partnerships that allow us to support producers with their individual needs.”

The goal of the Sustainability Incentive Program is to recognize and encourage customers as they adopt sustainable agricultural practices. Incentive payments are calculated on a portion of a customer’s lending with FCC. Producers are required to continue to meet the requirements and certification of their respective program to be eligible for the annual incentive payment. Complete details are available at fcc.ca.

The CRSB works with third-party certification bodies (Verified Beef Production Plus, Where Food Comes From and Ontario Corn Fed Beef Quality Assurance Program) to provide audited certification to its Sustainable Beef Production Standard at the cow-calf, background and feedlot level.

“FCC has shown up in a big way for CRSB certified producers, recognizing the time and investment it takes to maintain certification and continuously improve production practices,” says Ryan Beierbach, CRSB Chair and Saskatchewan producer. “The partnership between CRSB and FCC has been pivotal to the growth of the Certified Sustainable Beef Framework over the past year. We’ve seen increased interest and retention in CRSB certifications and as a producer myself, I am proud of FCC acknowledging beef producers’ commitment to sustainable production.”

Beierbach notes that increased consumer demand for certified sustainable beef in the marketplace puts CRSB certified producers in an excellent position moving forward.

McCain Foods is an excellent partner in the FCC Sustainability Incentive Program by providing matching incentive payments to eligible producers. Their framework guides producers on their sustainability journeys. McCain Foods has a goal to implement sustainable agricultural practices across 100 per cent of its potato acreage worldwide by 2030.

“As a global leader in the food industry, McCain Foods is committed to promote sustainable agriculture practices,” says Daniel Metheringham, McCain Food’s vice-president of agriculture. “We are proud to work in partnership with FCC to incentivize and support farmers in their transition to regenerative agriculture. This collaboration exemplifies our shared commitment to creating programs that foster environmental stewardship, improve farm resilience, and build a more sustainable future for our communities and our planet.”

Canadian producers have always focused on what is best for their land and livestock, while meeting the challenges of the market and the needs of consumers. The future will require continued innovation and the adoption of new practices and technologies as an ongoing part of business planning and risk management.

FCC continues to look for opportunities to incentivize producers who participate in industry-led sustainability initiatives that have established systems for verification and measurement of best management practices.

FCC is Canada’s leading agriculture and food lender, with a healthy loan portfolio of more than $47 billion. Our employees are dedicated to the future of Canadian agriculture and food. We provide flexible financing, AgExpert management software, information and knowledge specifically designed for the agriculture and food industry. As a Crown corporation, we provide an appropriate return to our shareholder, and reinvest our profits back into the industry and communities we serve.